Montreal, and nowhere else

BROSSARD - There was never any doubt.
Heading into the final year of his previous contract, Carey Price knew all along that he wanted to remain a Hab for the long haul. Now, he'll do exactly that after signing an eight-year extension on Sunday that will keep him in the fold until 2026.

"I'm obviously ecstatic about the opportunity to finish my career in Montreal," dished Price via conference call from his summer home in Kelowna, BC. "My family and I are all very excited about this news."
And how's this for no doubt?
So sure that a deal would get itself done, Price left his agent to hammer out the details over the summer while he focused largely on handling daddy duties -- and housework -- at home.
"When he was trying to get a hold of me today, I was cutting my grass," revealed the 29-year-old with a laugh. "That's what I have an agent for. I just sat back and waited for the news. I'm glad we were able to come to an agreement. I had no doubt that we were going to be able to get something done, so I had no stress about it."
It's no surprise then, that the 2017 Vezina Trophy nominee did not even consider testing the free agent market a year from now.
"I've never thought about playing anywhere else. [Montreal] is a great place for me, and I have enough experience now to deal with anything that being a goaltender for the Canadiens can throw at me," underlined Price, who sits third among Habs netminders for all-time wins. "I never thought about pulling on another uniform. It would be too weird, I guess."

At the other end of the contract, general manager Marc Bergevin for his part was understandably proud of getting such a major deal done during one of the busiest weekends of the year.
"Since I arrived here in 2012, we've identified Carey Price as the face of this franchise," stressed the 51-year-old GM during a press conference in Brossard, held shortly after the announcement. "He's an incredible player, and the league's stars deserve to be paid what they're worth."
For what it's worth, Price will be 38-years-old at the end of his new contract. If that number seems scary to some, the opposite is true for Habs management, whose vote of confidence stems from the All-Star goaltender's work ethic.
"One of the things that impresses me most about Carey, is his attention to detail off the ice," shared goaltending coach Stephane Waite. "He's very disciplined, whether it's what he eats, how he rests, how he gets ready, or how he trains; he's very mature."
"He's a pro, from A to Z, and that's why the length of his contract makes sense," continued Waite. "We know he'll take care of himself, and we'll take care of him too."
As a matter of fact, the work to put an even better team in front of Price in 2017-18 is already well underway.
"Things are starting to come together. It's always an interesting time of year -- and the time of year I start plugging myself back in," acknowledged Price of the July 1 opening of the free agent market. "I'm pretty excited to have Karl [Alzner] in front of me -- I thought he was a great pickup. I like the moves we've made so far."

Happy at home
Over the years, Carey and his wife Angela -- as well as their young daughter Liv -- have put down roots in Montreal.
"Having a family and being home a lot definitely changes your perspective on things," admitted the former fifth-overall pick from the 2005 NHL Draft. "The city of Montreal has always treated my family well, and the people have always been respectful of our personal space. That's always been appreciated."
And then of course, there's the passion.
"There's no better place to play hockey [than here]. For me, I'm honored to be able to wear a Canadiens uniform for the rest of my career. I can't really imagine playing anywhere else, to be honest. This is all I've ever known, and it's all I ever will know, I hope."